In 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, William G. Morgan created the volleyball game. As a physical education director of the YMCA, Morgan fused together elements of tennis, basketball, and handball. He called the new sport mintonette. The net was a key component, the concept of which he borrowed from the game of tennis. He changed the net's position by raising it 6 feet x 6 feet above the floor, just above an average man's head.
Businessman's Sport
Morgan created the game specifically for businessmen because they wanted a sport that had less physical contact than basketball, and could still be played indoors when the weather outside was bad. In 1900, a ball was designed and subsequently made specifically for volleyball. Throughout the early 1900s, the sport spread quickly to Canada, Cuba, Asia, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Brazil.
Naming the Game
The name volleyball came about accidentally during a practice game, when one of the players commented that they were simply volleying the ball back and forth, according to History of the Volley.net. The player suggested the name be changed accordingly.
Original Net Material
The game of tennis, from which volleyball was derived, had been around since the time of the Egyptians. Over time, different forms of nets were developed. In England during the 1500s, royal people played a type of tennis that required a wooden frame racket. By the year 1500, the framed racket was strung with a material made from sheep gut.
Criteria for Nets
Volleyball eventually developed its own criteria for what constituted the best type of net. These criteria included: simplicity in setup time; lightweight material, yet simultaneously tough and weather-resistant; ease in adjustment; a proper storage case; an even net tension and strength, and eventually padding around the pole for safer play.
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